Takeaway
- In patients with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), depression was associated with increased risk for dementia.
- Findings suggest that early screening and interventions may be important to maintain cognitive function in these patients.
Why this matters
- LUTS are reported to be independently linked with depression and dementia. However, the association between depression and cognitive dysfunction in patients with LUTS is not properly defined.
Study design
- Matched cohort study of 15,944 patients with LUTS (age, ≥50 years).
- Cases developed depression subsequently (n=1958).
- Controls included patients without depression after matching with confounding factors (n=7832).
- Primary outcome: first onset of dementia.
- Funding: Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital.
Key results
- Among patients with LUTS, crude incidence of depression was 12.3%.
- The proportion of patients who developed dementia was significantly higher in the depression group vs the control group (12.2% vs 8.9%; P<.001).
- After adjustment for confounders, depression was associated with a significantly higher risk for subsequent dementia (HR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.13-1.54).
Limitations
- Duration and cumulative dose of antidepressants not evaluated, and this affects further dementia prevalence.
References
References
